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Rabbit Seasoning
Rabbit Seasoning is a 1951 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny. It is the sequel to Rabbit Fire, and the second entry in the "Hunter's trilogy" directed by Jones and written by Michael Maltese (the only major difference in format between Rabbit Fire and Rabbit Seasoning is that the former takes place during the springtime, while the latter takes place in autumn. The third cartoon in the set, Duck! Rabbit, Duck!, takes place in the winter.) Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters on September 20, 1952 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. In Jerry Beck's 1994 book'', The 50 Greatest Cartoons'', Rabbit Seasoning is listed at number thirty. Summary The cartoon finds Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck again arguing over which of them is "in season" (it is really Duck Season as Daffy says in the beginning), while a befuddled Elmer Fudd tries to figure out which animal is telling the truth. Between using sneaky plays-on-words, and dressing himself in women's clothing (including a Lana Turner-style sweater), Bugs manages to escape unscathed, while Daffy repeatedly has his beak blown: off, upside-down, or sideways, by Mr. Fudd. Plot Pronoun Trouble Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny have "pronoun trouble" in this scene from Rabbit Seasoning. Rabbit Seasoning is most noted for an extended dialogue sequence in which Bugs' plays-on-words cause Daffy "pronoun trouble": :Bugs: It's true, Doc; I'm a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home? :Daffy: SHOOT HIM NOW! SHOOT HIM NOW! :Bugs: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now! :Daffy: He does so have to shoot me now! Elmer I demand that you shoot me now! raises his gun. As Daffy sticks his tongue out at Bugs, he is shot. Daffy walks back over to Bugs, gunsmoke pouring out of his nostrils. He walks over to Bugs. Let's run through that again. :Bugs: Okay. deadpan Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home. :Daffy: similarly Shoot him now, shoot him now. :Bugs: before You keep outta this, he doesn't have to shoot you now. :Daffy Duck: re-animated HAH! That’s it! Hold it right there! audience Pronoun trouble. Bugs It's not "he doesn't have to shoot you now", it's "he doesn't have to shoot me now" Pause angrily Well, I say he does have to shoot me now!! Elmer So shoot me now! shoots Daffy again After another series of gags and tricks, the cartoon ends as Daffy exposes Bugs' attempt at distracting Elmer by cross-dressing, and Bugs asks Elmer if he would like to "shoot him here, or wait 'til you get home." Daffy, catching the argument before it starts (but missing the "him" referring to himself), tells Elmer to wait until he gets home, and the two go off to Elmer's lodge. One gunshot later, Daffy storms out the door back to Bugs, re-aligns his beak, and says his signature line: "You're dethpicable". Gallery Usage in compilations The only scene used from this cartoon, where Elmer shoots into Bugs' rabbit hole after counting up to 10. was used in The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie. Availability *VHS - A Salute to Chuck Jones *VHS - Elmer Fudd's Comedy Capers *Laserdisc - Bugs Bunny: Winner by a Hare: 14 of Bugs Bunny's Best *VHS - Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition, Vol. 1: All-Stars *DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc One *Blu-Ray, DVD - Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2 Censorship Like Rabbit Fire and Duck! Rabbit, Duck!, all scenes of Daffy getting blasted by Elmer's shotgun were edited when aired on ABC, CBS, the syndicated and Fox network versions of The Merrie Melodies Show, and The WB. While ABC and WB replaced the actual shots of Elmer firing at Daffy's head with a still shot of Bugs Bunny looking off-screen (or, in the case of the end of Rabbit Seasoning, freeze-framed on the shot of the cabin when Elmer and Daffy go inside) and had the audio play normally, CBS and WB spliced out any and all scenes (both visual and audio) of Daffy getting shot.The Censored Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Page: Q-R http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-q-r.aspx Notes * Although there were a few cartoons released after this with the blue rings red background from the 1951-52 season, this cartoon was the first to be in the 1952-53 season, evident from the rings. * This cartoon was released the day before Chuck Jones' (the director's) 40th birthday. References External Links *Rabbit Seasoning at SuperCartoons.net *Rabbit Seasoning at B99.TV Category:Merrie Melodies shorts Category:Looney Tunes Category:Bugs Bunny shorts Category:Daffy Duck shorts Category:Elmer Fudd shorts Category:Chuck Jones Enterprises Category:The Hunting Trilogy shorts Category:Warner Bros. Animation Category:Warner Bros. Cartoons Category:1952 films Category:1952 shorts Category:Merrie Melodies Category:Looney Tunes shorts Category:Bugs Bunny Category:Daffy Duck Category:Elmer Fudd Category:Directed by Chuck Jones Category:Hunting shorts Category:Animated shorts Category:1952 Category:Hunter vs. Hare shorts Category:1950s Category:1950s shorts Category:Bugs and Elmer shorts Category:Bugs and Daffy shorts Category:Daffy and Elmer shorts Category:Vitaphone short films